October 1, 2010 - Activision started out as a creative powerhouse for the Atari 2600. Three decades later, it looms large as an industry titan with mega-brands like Call of Duty and Guitar Hero. How did it happen?

May 12, 2010 - If enough people buy single-band music games at a publisher's asking price, then they automatically make sense economically. Well, most of the time. Let's take a closer look at the sales figures for these one-band wonders.

September 3, 2009 - Guitar Hero 5 has hit the streets. And while you're busy grinding away on all the new tracks in this latest installment, we're taking a look back at the bands that made the series great.

August 28, 2009 - The highly anticipated release of Guitar Hero 5 is just a few days away. And as the latest installment in the hit axe-grinding series approaches, we're taking a look back at the music that made the series great.

June 19, 2009 - Zombies are rising from the grave just about everywhere you look these days. From full retail games (Left 4 Dead) to downloadable titles (Burn, Zombie, Burn!) to special modes in games that don't have anything to do with the undead (Call of Duty: World at War), it looks like the zombie apocalypse is upon us. When did it become necessary for every game to include brain eaters? Do we risk zombie overload?

May 14, 2009 - Videogame software sales were down more than 20 percent in April compared to the corresponding month last year, largely due to a shortage of top-tier game releases, according to data released today by the NPD Group, which tracks the industry.

April 15, 2009 - Guitar Hero: Metallica is a follow-up to last year's World Tour, which finally added drums and karaoke to the traditional Guitar Hero formula. That game offered a broad set list of hits from across the rock spectrum, but GH: Metallica takes the formula into the thrash metal danger zone. Fans of heavy music will get to relive some of metal's greatest highs with a tracklist pulled from Metallica's three decades in the music industry. Metal fans will also be happy to see a few other bands in the track list, including Machine Head, Samhain, and Diamond Head.

April 3, 2009 - In February 2008, NanaOn-Sha CEO and PaRappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matuura stepped onto the stage of the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas, Nev., and issued a polite but harsh challenge to videogame developers: Stop wasting your talents and the world's music with licensed play-along games.

April 3, 2009 - Many gamers closely watched the release of the karaoke party game Lips last year, but not because they wanted to sing along to Duffy songs. What grabbed their interest was the two wireless microphones that came bundled with the game, which were compatible only with Lips at launch.

March 31, 2009 - Guitar Hero: Metallica is a follow-up to last year's World Tour, which finally added drums and karaoke to the traditional Guitar Hero formula. That game offered a broad set list of hits from across the rock spectrum, but GH: Metallica takes the formula into the thrash metal danger zone. Fans of heavy music will get to relive some of metal's greatest highs with a tracklist pulled from Metallica's three decades in the music industry. Metal fans will also be happy to see a few other bands in the track list, including Machine Head, Samhain, and Diamond Head.

March 31, 2009 - Santa Monica, CA – March 31, 2009 – Having pioneered and expanded the heavy metal genre while gaining critical and popular success over the past 25 years, Metallica invites gamers to "Ride the Lightning" with them and over 20 other rocking artists in Activision Publishing, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) latest release – Guitar Hero Metallica. Enter the world of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo and experience the intensity and skill of one of the greatest bands of all time. Shred on the guitar controller, rip on the drum kit controller and wail on the mic to over 45 explosive hits from both Metallica's illustrious career and a variety of other legendary artists selected by the band, such as Alice In Chains, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Foo Fighters, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Queen.

March 29, 2009 - The Guitar Hero franchise seems to be ever rolling, churning out more than one title a year these days. Fortunately for metal fans, this year's "side project" is Guitar Hero: Metallica, which brings with it a ton of promise and hype. After all, Metallica is the band that has convinced countless souls to pick up a guitar (myself included), and their music seems to be a perfect fit for the formula.

March 25, 2009 - So far, the Xbox 360's upcoming lineup isn't quite up to 2008's amazing standards, but there are still a lot of killer games on the way. From movie tie-ins to sequels and original IPs, the first quarter of 2009 seems to have something lined up for every gamer. So what's in store this spring?

March 23, 2009 - Heavy metal and video game fiends collectively let out a "FINALLY!" when it was announced late last year that Metallica was getting their very own version of Guitar Hero. There are few bands that have written the kind of songs that are better suited for the gameplay involved in the inescapable franchise.

March 20, 2009 - Just about every weekday, new content is released on Xbox Live Marketplace. There's so much to sort through, sometimes it's hard to know what's new and what's old. Each day, IGN brings you a list of the latest demos, in-game content, themes and gamer pics. Check back every weekday to see what's new on Marketplace.

March 20, 2009 - Guitar Hero: Metallica is here. And by here, we mean available as a demo on Xbox Live. The newly released GH: Metallica demo gives just a taste of what fans will get when the game hits store shelves March 29.